Driving Shoe Heel and Back Protector

ABSTRACT

A device used to protect the back and heel of a driver&#39;s shoe while the driver operates the pedals of a vehicle, such as an automobile. The protector has a body made of a pliable, flexible, and durable material that conforms to the contours of the back and heel of a shoe. Straps formed integrally with the body wrap around the driver&#39;s ankle, and a central portion of the protector extends over the rear and heel of the driver&#39;s shoe, keeping sharp dirt and abrasive debris from scuffing or scratching the shoe. The protector is constructed so it is easy to attach to and remove from the shoe within the limited confines of the driver&#39;s seat area. The compact and flexible construction of the protector makes it portable or easy to store when not in use.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims no benefit from any previous patent applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of Invention

The invention described here is for a one-piece flexible shoe back and heel protector, which protects the rear of a driver's shoe from scuff marks, abrasions and scratches as the driver operates the accelerator and brake pedals of an automobile or other vehicle. This shoe protector alleviates sharp dirt and debris and scuffing surfaces from coming into contact with the back and heel of the shoe while the driver is operating the vehicle.

II. Description of Problem and Prior Art

Most automobile floor mats and flooring material found under the brake and accelerator pedals of a vehicle are designed to trap and collect dirt and debris. Some of this debris can be very abrasive. As the driver operates the pedals, this debris can and often does come into contact with the back and heel of the driver's shoe, scratching and scuffing the shoe and heel. This abrasion could ruin the shoe, or at least make it unsightly and undesirable. This is a particular problem when women are driving their vehicles with expensive medium and high heel shoes. These drivers do not want to be inconvenienced by changing shoes in their vehicle each time they have to drive somewhere.

A shoe back and heel protector should be available that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, and made of a single piece of flexible material to reduce assembly errors and eliminate assembly costs. The back of the shoe and the heel are both noticeable shoe features and therefore should both be protected from ruinous abrasions. The protector should be constructed so it is flexible and able to conform to the back of a wide variety of shoes. The protector should also be constructed so it is easy to attach to and remove from the shoe within the limited confines of the driver's seated area. Storage or portability of the protector should be easy when it is not in use.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,764 to Beck discloses a rigid shoe heel guard comprising a protection frame molded from a thermoplastic resin that utilizes an interference-fit to engage the back of a shoe. This non-flexible shoe protection device would not be able to conform to a wide variety of shoes due to its rigid nature. Also, the interference-fit by definition may not allow for easy attachment and removal, and may also scuff and abrade the very shoe the device is supposed to protect.

Another such device found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,100 to Minor discloses a shoe protector that utilizes separate upper and lower securing straps sewn to a shoe protector portion. The use of multiple securing straps would increase the difficulty and cost of manufacture. The attachment seams of the sewn strap sections could be susceptible to the abrasive environment or fail due to repeated use. The multiple straps would also increase the difficulty of attachment and removal within the confines of the driver's area.

Another such device found in U.S. Patent Application 2005/0115110 to Dinkins discloses a shoe guard device preferably composed of a rubber-like foam material. This device includes a “heel aperture” that would allow the entire heel of a woman's shoe to extend through the guard. This device utilizes an elastic hem member to attach the guard to the shoe, which is not strong enough to hold the guard onto the heel of the shoe as the driver's foot is repeatedly moved between the accelerator and brake pedals. Also, this device must be applied over the heel of a shoe, or with the heel of a woman's shoe extending through a heel aperture, which makes it difficult to put on or remove the guard in the confines of the front driver's seat compartment of a vehicle.

III. Statement of the Objectives

An objective of the invention is to protect the back and heel of a shoe from abrasive debris while operating the pedals when driving an automobile or other vehicle. The invention is easy to attach to and remove from a wide variety of shoes within the limited confines of the driver's seat area. Another object of the invention is that it should be portable or easy to store when not in use. The invention should be durable and flexible enough to be used for an extended period of time in an abrasive environment, and be easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a driving shoe back and heel protector having a one-piece body that is pliable, durable and flexible and can easily conform to the shape of the rear of a wide variety of shoes. One end of the protector wraps around the driver's ankle and attaches back to the body itself.

In an embodiment of the invention, one or more straps extend out from opposite sides of a central portion of the body of the flexible shoe back and heel protector. The straps wrap around the driver's ankle and attach to each other, or in the case of a single strap, could attach back to the body itself. The strap or straps attach to each other or back to the body via a hook and loop fastener combination, one or more snaps, or by a temporary adhesive, as are known in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings depict an embodiment of a shoe back and heel protector in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the one-piece shoe protector device of the present invention removed from the shoe.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shoe protector device showing how the two ends can be connected in an embodiment.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are edge views of two shoe protector devices of an embodiment showing the adjustability of the connection of the two ends.

FIG. 4 is side elevation view of the shoe protector device of FIG. 1 used on a high heeled shoe.

FIG. 5 is side elevation view of the shoe protector device of FIG. 1 used on a medium height heeled shoe.

FIG. 6 is side elevation view of the shoe protector device of FIG. 1 used on a low height heeled shoe.

FIG. 7 is side elevation view of the shoe protector device of FIG. 1 used on a boot type shoe.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the shoe protector device removed from the shoe showing it ready for portability or storage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

The inventive device is a one-piece flexible heel protector for a shoe or boot that protects a heel portion of a shoe by reducing sharp debris or any abrasive material from coming into contact with the rear of the shoe during the operation of an automobile or other vehicle. The protector's flexibility allows it to conform to and cover the back and heel of a shoe, particularly that portion of the shoe that contacts the floor of the vehicle when the user's foot moves between the operating pedals of the vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 1, the body 10 of the shoe back and heel protector is made of a single piece of pliable flexible and durable material such as leather, canvas, rubber material, or the like. The body 10 has an enlarged central portion 12, and straps 14, 16 extending outward from central portion 12. Straps 14, 16 are part of and integral with body 10, and are made from the same material as body 10, as shown in FIG. 1. The underside of strap 14, as seen in FIG. 1 comprises one side 18 of a hook and loop fastening system, and the top side of strap 16 comprises the other side 20 of the hook and loop fastening system. The body 10 is made up of a single piece that is more durable than a multi-piece protector with seams attaching the straps 14, 16 to the body 10, which seams could breakdown in the abrasive environment.

The straps 14, 16 as shown in FIG. 2, are constructed to be folded and attached to one another at a single fastening junction and in a single motion via hook and loop fasteners 18, 20. Various other fasteners could also be used, such as snaps or a temporary adhesive.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the adjustability of the protector body 10. when applying the protector body 10 to the shoe 22 (FIGS. 4-7), the central portion 12 is applied over the rear portion 24 of shoe or boot 22 such that the central portion 12 covers all parts of rear 24 of shoe 22 that contact the floor 26 of the vehicle as the driver moves their foot during operation of, and switching between, the brake pedal and the gas pedal of the vehicle control system. Strap 14 is then extended over the ankle 28 of the user, and strap 16 is then extended partially over strap 14 until hook and loop fastener elements 18 and 20 come into contact and are manually firmly pressed together holding the protector in place over rear portion 24 of shoe 22. As seen in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the connection between straps 14, 16 is variable, and the body 10 is made of a pliable, flexible material, thus allowing a single protector 10 to be used on a wide variety of shoes of different size and configuration, such as shoes and boots.

Referring to FIGS. 4-7, the protector 10 could be used to protect various types of shoes 22, such as woman's high heels as shown in FIG. 4, or medium height heels as shown in FIG. 5, or lower height heels as shown in FIG. 6, or boots as shown in FIG. 7. These figures also show that the body of the protector is relatively thin or substantially flat so as not to interfere with the driver operating the pedals, yet having the strength to resist the abrasive forces that exist between the vehicle floor 26 and the outer surfaces of the protector 10 when the vehicle is being operated.

The protector, with a single body 10 and a single fastening junction 18, 20 allows easy attachment and removal from the user's ankle 28 within the driver's seat area. FIG. 8 shows how the protector 10 could be folded and made portable or stored in a small area when not in use.

The foregoing description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. The description was selected to better explain the principles of the invention and practical application of these principles to enable others skilled in the art to better utilize the invention in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention not be limited by the specification, but be defined by the claims set forth below. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A shoe protective device for protecting a back and a heel of the shoe, the device comprising: a substantially flat flexible body with a central portion, a first strap extending outwardly from one side of said central portion, said first strap having a first connection element, said first strap formed integrally with said center portion; a second strap extending outwardly from another side of said central portion, said second strap having a second connector element, said second strap formed integrally with said center portion, said first and second straps adapted to extend over the ankle of a user and to be connected together when the central portion is applied over the heel and rear portion of said shoe.
 2. The shoe protective device of claim 1, wherein: the flat flexible body and the first and second straps are all formed from a single piece of said flexible material.
 3. The shoe protector device of claim 1, wherein: said first and second connector elements comprise opposed mating portions of a hook and loop fastener device. 